Display container



May 30, 1933,. H. B. WALTER DISPLAY CONTAINER Filed Jan. 26, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [nae/21 07 [5507215072 fi M2557 May 30, 1933. H. B. WALTER 1,911,215

DISPLAY CONTAINER Filed Jan. 26, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRISON B. WALTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CONTAINER CORPORA- TION OF AMERICA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE DISPLAY CONTAINER Application filed January 26, 1931.

The present invention relates to containers and more particularly to shipping and display containers for fragile articles, such as bottles and similar glassware which must be protected in shipping and are sold at retail in small lots.

One object of the invention is to provide a container for this purpose which is easy to set up, simple and sturdy in construction and economical in manufacture and use. f

Another object is to provide a container having openings in the sides thereof through which merchandise can be attractively displayed to the retail purchaser, such openings being provided by integral infolding tabs, hinged to the walls of the container, the tabs when folded inwardly at right angles to the walls in which they are formed providing means for spacing apart the articles packed in the container and preventing breakage.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combmations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features bclng pointed out in the claims at the end of the v specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of pne embodiment of the invention, adapted to hold a single row of bottles, set up;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention, adapted to hold a plurality-of rows of-bottles,-set up; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line it- 1 of Fig. 3.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

The present embodiment of the invention provides a shipping and display container which is light in weight, easy to pack and economical to manufacture, being particularly advantageous in the packing and shipping of bottled goods, as, for instance, bottled beverages. The form of the container is such that the bottles packed therein are suitably spaced apart and openings are provided through which the merchandise may be seen,

Serial No. 511,115.

thereby giving a maximum of sales appeal as well as a maximum of protection.

The invention, as herein disclosed, comprises essentially a box formed of a blank of sheet material which is cut and scored to provide spacing portions integral with the side walls of the container adapted to space apart articles packed therein, and openings in the side walls adapted to display such articles.

Referring more particularly to the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates a container 10 embodying one form of the present invention adapted to hold a single row of bottles. This embodiment of the invention is constructed from a single blank of sheet material, preferably of corrugated or fibre board although any other form of light weight sheetmaterial may be employed to equal advantage. The. blank is scored to provide side walls 11, 11 and 12, 12, each of said side walls having tab extensions at their ends adapted to form the top and bottom closures. Any suitable form of securing means may be employed to set up the box, such as glue or gummed tape. The side walls 12 are preferably substantially equal in width to the diameter of the bottles to be packed. The side walls 11 are slit along lines 13, 13 and 11 so as to bend along line 15 to form a flap 16 adapted to fold inwardly at right angles to the side wall 11.

\Vhile anumber of openings equal to the number of bottles may be provided, in the present instance but five openings are shown in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, adapted to contain six bottles. It is apparent that, for six bottles in a. row, only five separators are necessary. Therefore, while a sixth opening could be provided at 18 in Fig. 2, the cut out portion is not necessary to form a divider and is merely superfluous. Aeeordingly, if the purpose of a manufacturer is to conserve all the strength possible, only sullicient openings will be provided to furnish separating tabs for the bottles in the container.

As will be. apparent from Fig. 2. when the tabs 16 are bent inwardly. substantially at right angles to the side walls 11, the openings on one side of the container will be laterally ofiset with respect to the openings on the other side. The same arrangement is followed in forming the tabs so that alternate tabs will extend inwardly from opposite walls and not more than one tab will be disposed betweenadjacent.- bottles; It is also apparent that the container is not weakened in any portion since the openings are distributed in such a way that a given bottle can top and bottom closures. Each side wall 21 is slit at 22, 22 and 23 so as to bend along line 24 to provide a tab 25 adapted to fold inwardly at right angles to the wall in which it is cut. The juncture of the tab 25 with the side wall is preferably located at substantially the vertical center of the side wall 21, (see Fig. 4) so that when each side wall has been provided with a tab and bottles inserted into the container, at each corner thereof, the tabs will engage the sides of the bottles and hold them out of contact with each other. Each bottle will be visible through an adjacent aperture provided by the infolding of the integral tab, as shown in Fig. 4, where a bottle 26 has been indicated and is engaged by the flaps 25, 25 and is visible through the open portion 27. It is obvious that the vertical cut 24 may be of any desired length so as to reveal adequately a substantial portion of the bottle and contents. The width of the opening may be varied also but should be sufficient to provide a tab which will extend inwardly of the container a distance substantially equal to, or somewhat greater than, one-half the diameter of the bottles to be packed whereby a satisfactory separation of the bottles will be effected.

From the foregoing it is apparent that there is provided a strong and durable display container which can be collapsed fiat for shipment to the user and set up and sealed substantially the same as an ordinar socalled slotted carton. Unlike the ordinary slotted carton, however, the present container needs no separate dividing means for maintaining the bottles out of contact with each other. By an effective arrangement of openings and tabs the bottles may be maintained in separated relation and at the same timev may be visible to the prospective customer without substantially increasing the danger of breakage or substantially weakening the box as compared with similar cartons having solid walls.

tecting case, if the package is not to be subjected to unusually rough handling.

The invention is particularly adapted for the handling of small lots of bottled beverages and is convenient for retail trade where a carton is desired which will contain from four to six bottles, this being the number frequently purchased by a customer at one time. The invention is not, however, limited to containers holding a small number of bottles but is adapted also for containers holding a larger number where the bottles are placed in three or more rows. In this latter case part of the bottles will be maintained separated by independent separating means.

Upon receiving a shipment of bottle goods packed in these containers, the retailer will be required only to open the larger container and he will have a package ready to place upon his shelves and also in final form for delivery to the customer, thus obviating the necessity of unpacking bottles singly and having to place them in paper bags when sold, such bags, of course, not offering satisfactory protection against breakage and making an extremely unwieldy package to be carried by the purchaser. In addition, the container makes it possible for the merchant to display his merchandise attractively, without necessity of spending time unpacking individual bottles and arranging them upon his shelves.

lVhilc the present description sets forth a preferredembodiment of the invention, numerous changes may be made in the construction Without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A container for shipping and displaying bottled goods and the like having a bottom wall and four side walls, certain oppositely disposed side Walls being apertured to provide at least one display opening therein, the openings being formed by striking tabs from said walls, said tabs being. adapted to extend inwardly and lie between adjacent bottles to form separating partitions, said display openings and said tabs being disposed laterally out of alignment with each other, whereby not more than one tab will lie between adjacent bottles and not more than one opening is provided adjacent any given bottlein said container.

2. A container for shipping and displaying bottled goods and the like having a bottom wall and four side walls, certain oppositely disposed walls being apertured to provide at least one display opening therein, the openings being formed by striking tabs from said walls, said tabs being adapted to extend inwardly and lie between adjacent bottles to form separating partitions, said display openings being disposed laterally out of alignment with each other whereby not more than one opening is provided adjacent any given bottle in said container, the tabs being so disposed with respect to the openings and each other that not more than one tab will lie between adjacent bottles.

3. A container for shipping and displaying bottled goods and the like, having a bottom wall and four side walls, two of said side walls being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the bottles to be packed, at least one inwardly extending tab struck from each of said last mentioned side walls providing partitions for the bottles and display openings in each wall, said tabs and said display openings being disposed in staggered relation whereby alternate tabs extend in opposite directions and lie alternately between adjacent bottles whereby the bottles may be observed from opposite sides of the container through the openings left by the tabs and whereby the bottles are maintained out of contact with each other.

4. A container for shipping and displaying bottled goods and the like having a bottom wall and four side walls, two oppositely disposed side walls being apertured to provide at least one display opening therein, said display openings being disposed laterally out of alignment with each other, Whereby not more than one opening is provided adjacent any given bottle in said container, and means disposed within said container for maintaining said bottles out of contact with each other.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 22nd day of January, 1931.

HARRISON B. WALTER. 

